Business & Economy
Small businesses are the backbone of our communities — and Fatmata will fight to help them thrive.
Montgomery County should be a place where businesses can grow, succeed, and create opportunity. Yet too many small businesses are struggling with rising costs, increasing taxes, and barriers to accessing capital—forcing some to leave our county altogether.
As a small business owner, Fatmata understands these challenges firsthand and knows what it takes to build and sustain a business in our community.
The Challenge Facing Small Businesses
Over the past several years, Montgomery County has seen businesses close not because demand has dried up, but because operating costs have become unsustainable. Commercial rents are rising. Permitting processes are slow. Taxes and fees pile up. And for entrepreneurs from lower-income backgrounds — especially women, minorities, and immigrants — accessing startup capital is often nearly impossible.
Meanwhile, the county's largest contracts continue to flow overwhelmingly to large, out-of-county firms, while local small businesses are left on the sidelines.
Incentives to Hire Locally
Fatmata will work to establish and strengthen incentive programs that reward businesses for hiring Montgomery County residents — especially those from underserved communities. Local hiring keeps money circulating in our economy, reduces unemployment, and builds the connection between businesses and the neighborhoods they serve.
Expand Small Business Loan Access
Access to affordable capital is the single biggest barrier for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. Fatmata will champion the expansion of the county's small business loan and grant programs, partner with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), and push to cut through the bureaucratic barriers that make it hard for everyday residents to start or grow a business.
Ensure Minority, Veteran, and Women-Owned Businesses Can Thrive
Historically underrepresented entrepreneurs face compounding disadvantages: less access to networks, capital, and county contracts. Fatmata will push to reform county procurement to set meaningful, enforceable goals for contracting with minority-owned, veteran-owned, and women-owned businesses — and ensure those goals are actually met.
Support Project Labor Agreements for Fair Work
When the county invests in major construction or infrastructure projects, those investments should create good jobs with fair wages and safe conditions. Fatmata supports Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on county-funded projects to ensure workers are protected and that taxpayer dollars lift up the community — not just corporate bottom lines.
Why This Matters for Montgomery County
A thriving small business ecosystem means more jobs, more tax revenue for public services, more vibrant commercial corridors, and more economic mobility for working families. When we invest in small businesses — especially those owned by residents who have historically been locked out — we invest in the long-term prosperity of the entire county.
Fatmata knows that economic opportunity must be built from the ground up — not trickled down. With your support, she will fight to make Montgomery County a place where every entrepreneur has a real shot at success.
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